Player Bios

olga bienzobas

5-6| So. | tr

san sebastian, spain (missouri)

FALL 2021

• Recorded a 4-4 singles record • Picked up two wins in Flight 3 singles at the UCA Invitational over

Missouri State and SEMO • Registered straight-set wins against two opponents from Troy at the ITA

Southern Regionals • Went 1-3 in doubles action, partnering with Alexia Romero and Najah

Dawson • Lone win came in Flight 2 of the UCA Invitational

Prior to LA Tech

• Spent freshman year at the University of Missouri • Played at the No. 4, No. 5 and No. 6 spots in singles, registering a 2-3 record in duals • Earned a career-high UTR of 9.91 • Achieved a career-high national ranking of 54 in Spain • Won two Mutua Madrid championships and one Marca championship • Finalist of the doubles championship at the Spanish National Tournament • Won regional and state championships with both Real Club de Tenis de

San Sebastian and Pinter Tennis from 2015-20 • Team captain in soccer and basketball in high school

Personal

Full name is Olga Bienzobas Fernandez ... Daughter of Francisco Jose and Ana Suyapa ... One younger sibling, Suyapa Bienzobas ... Born Aug. 4, 2002 in San Sebastian, Spain.

madison cefalu

5-4| jr. | 2L

Baton Rouge, La. (St. Joseph’s Academy)

CAREER HONORS & AWARDS 2021

C-USA Academic Medalist C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll

2020

C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll

FALL 2021

• Went 0-2 in singles, both matches played in the LA Tech Invitational • Teamed up with Lara Unkovich for one doubles match, defeating

Grambling State in the LA Tech Invitational

SPRING 2021

• Played in first career dual match against Grambling State (2/7), was up a set in singles at No. 6 before match was stopped • Teamed up with Claudia Oravcova to win 6-2 on court three in doubles

FALL 2020

• Won both singles matches in the fall in Flight 4 of the LA Tech Invitational • Defeated Natalie Malone and Paige Stanford of Grambling State • Went 0-3 in doubles action in same event, partnering with Madalena Amil

SPRING 2020

• Did not see action.

FALL 2019

• Registered a 1-7 singles mark while playing in three events • Lone win came at SFA Invitational over Anette Lira of Prairie View A&M, 6-1, 5-7, 1-0 • Went 0-2 in doubles, playing one match at UCA Fall Invite and one at SFA

Invitational

Prior to LA Tech

• Lettered four years in tennis at St. Joseph’s Academy for head coach

Jason Noonan • Four-time Louisiana All-Metro selection • Doubles state champion as a junior • Two-time Doubles regional champion and two-time Doubles regional runner-up • Member of two team state championships as a sophomore and junior • Named Team MVP as a sophomore • Ranked No. 6 in Louisiana in Girls 16 division • Qualified for Southerns each of the last eight years

Personal

Full name is Madison Cefalu ... Daughter of Kevin and Wendy Cefalu ... Younger brother, Tyler ... Born Sept. 18, 2001 in Baton Rouge, La.

najah dawson

5-7| sr. | tr

queens, n.y. (st. john’s)

FALL 2021

• Saw limited action in the fall due to injury • Went 1-2 in singles with lone win coming over ULM in the LA Tech

Invitational • Went 0-2 in doubles, partnering with Ana Rodrigues and Olga Bienzobas

Prior to LA Tech

• Spent three years at St. John’s in her hometown of Queens, New York • Achieved a career-high UTR rating of 9.67 in singles • Produced a dual singles record of 22-14, playing primarily at No. 1 and

No. 2 • Lone full season came in 2019 as a freshman, registering a 12-7 singles mark • Combined to go 10-7 in singles in shortened sophomore and junior years • Totaled a 27-6 dual doubles record with 19 of those coming from the top spot • Went 8-1 on court one as a junior • Was a five-star recruit out of James Madison High School with a careerhigh ITF ranking of 183 • Was a two-time ITF doubles champion and a three-time ITF singles finalist

Personal

Full name is Najah Dawson ... Nickname is “Naj” ... Daughter of Claudette and Larry Dawson ... Born Sept. 9, 2001 in Valley Stream, New York.

emma eerola

5-5| fr. | hs

tampere, finland (sampo senior hs)

FALL 2021

• Did not see action

Prior to LA Tech

• Career-high UTR rating of 10.08 • Ranked No. 1 in U18 Finland and achieved a career-high No. 4 ranking among all women • Three-time U18 Finnish champion in singles as well as a U18 Finnish champion in doubles in 2019 • ITF Juniors G5 winner in 2020 • Womens Finnish champion and U16 Finnish champion in singles in 2018 • Represented Finland in 2018 European championships

Personal

Full name is Emma Eerola ... Daughter of Tiina and Mike Eerola ... One sibling, Ida ... Born May 15, 2002 in Espoo, Finland.

tiffani nash

5-6| so. | tr

bossier city, la. (missouri state)

FALL 2021

• Did not see action

Prior to LA Tech

• First Team All-Missouri Valley Conference as a freshman at Missouri State in 2021 • Tied MSU program record for individual wins in dual singles matches with 15 after finishing the spring with a 15-3 record • Ended the season on a 12-match winning streak • Was second most singles victories by a freshman in the Missouri Valley

Conference • Went 2-2 in dual doubles • In high school, achieved a career-high national ranking of 98 according to

Tennis Recruiting and was ranked as high as No. 50 in the USTA Southern region, highlighted by her 2019 Southern Girls’ 18s championship run • Won three Sportsmanship awards during the 2019 Southern Girls’ 18s championship and was selected to represent Louisiana for four consecutive years in the Southern Cup • Named 2017 Most Valuable Player for Louisiana during the Southern Cup competition • Won the Louisiana Junior State Qualifying Tournament 16s singles division in 2018 • Two-time LHSAA Division 3A state singles runner-up • Helped Loyola Prep to the 2017 state title

Personal

Full name is Tiffani Nash ... Daughter of James and Tanika Nash ... Has one sister, Taylor ... Born Jan. 26, 2002 in Shreveport, Louisiana.

ana rodrigues

5-11| fr. | hs

montes claros, brazil (reino)

FALL 2021

• Recorded a team-best 6-3 singles record • Placed third in Flight 5 singles at UCA Invitational with wins over

Missouri State and Northwestern State • Advanced to the Round of 16 Qualifiers at the ITA Southern Regionals, claiming three wins against ULM, Jacksonville State and Samford • Went 3-3 in doubles, partnering with four different teammates • Teamed up with Leonie Schuknecht to claim a 6-2 win over ULM at the

No. 1 spot in the LA Tech Invitational

Prior to LA Tech

• 12-time state champion and nine-time national champion in singles in

Brazil as well as being crowned the South America champion • Three-time South America champion and four-time national doubles champion in doubles • Career-high 354 ITF ranking in both singles and doubles

Personal

Full name is Ana Flavia Andrade Rodrigues ... Daughter of Luciano Cezar and Luciana Mendes Andrade ... Two siblings, Maria and Isabela ... Born Feb. 21, 2002 in Janauba, Brazil.

alexia romero

5-6| jr. | 2l

Neuquen, Argentina (SeaDea HS)

CAREER HONORS & AWARDS 2021

Second Team All-Louisiana C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll

2020

C-USA All-Freshman Team All-Louisiana Honorable Mention C-USA Academic Medalist C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll

Prior to LA Tech

• Ranked No. 1 in the U14 and U16 by the Argentina Tennis Association • Won multiple Level I tournaments in home country and participated with the Argentinian national team in Uruguay • Achieved high singles UTR of 9.82 • Reached semifinals of the $15,000 Luque ITF Pro Tournament • Currently ranked No. 711 by the ITF World Tennis doubles rankings

Personal

Full name is Alexia Josefina Romero ... Nickname is “Jose” ... Daughter of Fabio Raul Romero and Alejandra Cecilia Avila ... Younger sibling, Ana ... Born No. 9, 2000 in Neuquen, Argentina.

FALL 2021

• Registered a 4-2 record in singles • Won Flight 6 championship at the UCA Invitational with a trio of straightset wins over Missouri State, Arkansas State and SEMO • Recorded a win over UAB in the consolation bracket of the ITA Southern

Regionals • Tallied a 3-3 doubles mark, partnering with three different teammates • Won one match in each of the three fall events

SPRING 2021

• Compiled a 12-6 dual singles mark, the most wins and best winning percentage on the team • Went 2-0 at No. 3 and 10-6 at No. 4 • Recorded a 4-1 record in three-set matches • Had a five-match winning streak, including wins over Central Arkansas (1/17) and the clinching point against Stephen F. Austin (1/31) • Registered one league win, a 7-6, 7-5 victory versus WKU (3/5) • Was up a set on No. 50 Charlotte (4/22) in the first round of the C-USA

Tournament before the match was stopped • Posted an 11-7 dual doubles record, the most wins on the squad • Went 2-5 at No. 2 and 9-2 at No. 3, teaming with Lara Unkovich and

Claudia Oravcova • Produced a five-match winning streak with victories over three conference foes in WKU (3/5), Middle Tennessee (3/6) and UAB (3/20)

FALL 2020

• Recorded a 3-3 singles record • Defeated Shelby King of Arkansas State for lone win at the UCA

Invitational in Flight 4 • Won the consolation bracket at the LA Tech Invitational with back-to-back victories over Arkansas State in Flight 2 • Went 4-2 in doubles action, partnering with Lara Unkovich • The duo won three straight matches against Oral Roberts, Central Arkansas and Arkansas State to claim the Flight 2 title at the UCA Invitational

SPRING 2020

• Tallied a 10-2 dual singles record, the best winning percentage on the team • Went 1-0 at No. 3, 8-2 at No. 4 and 1-0 at No. 5 • Opened spring with four-match winning streak, including first career win coming versus Montana State (1/19) • Provided clinching point with 6-1, 7-6 victory over Nicholls State (1/25) • Recorded two conference wins via straight sets against UTEP (2/15) and

UTSA (2/21) • Ended season on four-match winning streak • Registered a 6-8 dual doubles mark, partnering with three different teammates • Went 4-5 at No. 1 and 2-3 at No. 3 • Notched three wins with Nadja Manjon on court one

FALL 2019

• Appeared in all four fall events • Posted a 7-5 singles mark, second most wins on the team, winning six of last eight matches • Went 3-1 on court three at SFA Invitational with victories over Prairie View

A&M, Texas State and Tyler Junior College • Won both matches at the No. 3 spot at Tops’L Invitational versus Nicholls

State and New Orleans • Recorded an 8-4 doubles record, second most mark on the squad, while teaming up with Alana Sherman and Ilana Tetruashvili • Won seven of last nine doubles matches • Posted a 3-0 mark from No. 2 position at Ragin’ Cajuns Invitational • Won three matches at No. 1 spot at SFA Invitational

leonie schuknecht

5-9| so. | 1l

Bottrop, Germany

CAREER HONORS & AWARDS 2021

C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll

FALL 2021

• Recorded a 4-3 singles record • Placed third in Flight 1 at the UCA Invitational, defeating Missouri State and Central Arkansas • Collected one win apiece at the ITA Southern Regionals and LA Tech

Invitational • Tallied a team-best 4-2 doubles mark, partnering with Ilana Tetruashvili and Ana Rodrigues • Claimed victories over the top two doubles teams from SEMO at the

UCA Invitational in Flight 1 • Defeated a tandem from Samford at ITA Southern Regionals • Bested ULM at the No. 1 spot at the LA Tech Invitational

spring 2021

• Posted a 7-11 dual singles record, played every match at the No. 1 position • Became first freshman to spend all spring at top spot since 2010 • First collegiate win came in 6-2, 6-3 victory over Stephen F. Austin (1/31) • Won three-set match at Arkansas State (2/27) with a final score of 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 • Notched lone league victory in 6-3, 6-4 win over UAB (3/20) • Ended regular season with wins over regional opponents Northwestern

State (4/13) and McNeese State (4/18), surrendering just five total games • Registered a 10-7 dual doubles mark, playing every match from the top position with Ilana Tetruashvili • Won 10 of their last 13 matches, including a five-match winning streak • Went 2-1 in C-USA action, recording a 6-2 win versus WKU (3/5) and a 7-6 victory against UAB (3/20) • Tallied three 6-0 doubles wins

FALL 2020

• Registered a 2-4 singles mark • Recorded a runner-up finish in Flight 1 of the LA Tech Invitational with victories over UL-Lafayette and ULM • Recorded a 3-3 doubles mark, teaming up with Anastasiia Salenko • Won the consolation bracket of the LA Tech Invitational with back-to-back wins versus Arkansas State and ULM in Flight 1

Prior to LA Tech

• Part of the West German U18 championship team in 2019 • Ranked as high as No. 30 in Germany in U18 junior players and as high as

No. 164 for all women’s tennis players in Germany

Personal

Full name is Leonie Schuknecht ... Daughter of Sandra and Markus Schuknecht ... One sibling, Lucia ... Born Nov. 8, 2001 in Bottrop, Germany.

ilana tetruashvili

5-11| sr. | 3l

Holon, Israel (Yitzhak Navon Gymnasium)

CAREER HONORS & AWARDS 2021

All-Louisiana Honorable Mention C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll

2020

C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll

fall 2021

• Tallied a 3-5 singles record, claiming one win in each of the three fall events • Registered a team-best 4-2 mark in doubles, partnering with Leonie

Schuknecht and Alexia Romero • Claimed victories over the top two doubles teams from SEMO at the

UCA Invitational in Flight 1 • Defeated a tandem from Samford at the ITA Southern Regionas • Bested ULM at the No. 3 spot at the LA Tech Invitational

spring 2021

• Recorded a 9-10 dual singles mark, the second most wins on the team • Went 1-5 at No. 2 and 8-5 at No. 3 • Had a stretch of winning six of seven matches • Notched a 6-3, 6-0 victory over ULM (2/24) • Registered back-to-back conference wins against WKU (3/5) and Middle

Tennessee (3/6) with final scores of 6-0, 6-2 and 7-5, 6-3, respectively • Closed out regular season with back-to-back victories over regional foes

Northwestern State (4/13) and McNeese State (4/18), both via straight sets • Registered 10-7 dual doubles mark, playing every match from the top position with Leonie Schuknecht • Won 10 of their last 13 matches, including a five-match winning streak • Went 2-1 in C-USA action, recording a 6-2 win versus WKU (3/5) and a 7-6 victory against UAB (3/20) • Tallied three 6-0 doubles wins

FALL 2020

• Saw action in both fall tournaments, going 2-4 in singles • Recorded a runner-up finish in Flight 2 of the LA Tech Invitational with straight-set victories over Grambling State and ULM • Teamed up with Claudia Oravcova to go 2-4 in doubles • Reached the finals of Flight 3 of the LA Tech Invitational with wins over

ULM and UL-Lafayette

SPRING 2020

• Registered a 7-8 dual singles record, all coming from the No. 3 spot • Provided clinching point with 7-6, 6-1 victory over McNeese State (1/26) • Reeled off three straight victories, including clinching point versus Jackson

State (2/8) • Picked up two conference wins against UTEP (2/15) and UTSA (2/21), both via straight sets • Recorded a 5-6 dual doubles record, all coming from the No. 3 position • Notched three wins with Andrea Perez-Lopez and two with Alexia Romero

FALL 2019

• Saw action in all four events, playing in first fall season • Went 6-6 in singles, playing primarily at the top position • Best tournament came at SFA Invitational, going 3-1 on court one with wins over Prairie View A&M, Texas State and Stephen F. Austin • Tallied a team-best 10-2 doubles record, teaming up with Andrea Perez-

Lopez and Alexia Romero • Won first seven matches, including a 3-0 mark to win the flight three doubles title at the UCA Fall Invite • Went a perfect 3-0 at the No. 2 spot at the Ragin’ Cajuns Invitational • Notched three victories at SFA Invitational • Arrived in late February and posted a 9-4 dual singles record, the second best winning percentage on the team • Played primarily at No. 3, going 8-4 • Also went 1-0 at the No. 2 position • First career win came in straight sets at Southeast Missouri (3/4) • Provided clinching point in 6-2, 6-3 win versus Murray State (3/18) • Recorded an eight-match winning streak • Registered a 7-3 dual doubles record, partnering with three different teammates • Went 6-1 at No. 1 with Sonia Chen • Also went 1-2 at No. 3

Prior to LA Tech

• Consistently ranked among the top three juniors in her age group in Israel since the age of 10 • Part of the Israeli team that competed at the European Championships in 2014 • Reached No. 1 in national rankings and as high as No. 52 in Europe, collecting WTA points in singles and doubles

Personal

Full name is Ilana Tetruashvili ... Daughter of Refael Tetruashvili and Olga Trakhtman ... Two siblings, Gideon and Doriel ... Born Feb. 13, 2000 in Tel Aviv, Israel.

lara unkovich

5-5| so. | 1l

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (MOSMAN HS)

CAREER HONORS & AWARDS 2021

C-USA Academic Medalist C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll

fall 2021

• Registered a 1-3 singles record • Lone win came in Flight 7 at UCA Invitational, defeating Missouri State by a score of 6-0, 6-0 • Totaled a 2-1 doubles mark, teaming up with Ana Rodrigues and

Madison Cefalu

spring 2021

• Tallied a 1-3 dual singles record • Went 1-2 at No. 5 and 0-1 at No. 6 • Lone victory was a 7-6, 0-6, 1-0 win against Central Arkansas (1/17) • Registered a 6-4 dual doubles mark, teaming with Alexia Romero • Duo won five of their last six matches • Claimed two victories during C-USA play, winning 6-2 against WKU (3/5) and 6-1 versus Middle Tennessee (3/6)

FALL 2020

• Saw action in both fall tournaments, goings 3-3 in singles • First collegiate win came at the UCA Invitational, defeating Mary Houston of Missouri State • Reached the finals of Flight 3 in the LA Tech Invitational with victories over

UL-Lafayette and Arkansas State • Went 4-2 in doubles action, partnering with Alexia Romero • The duo won three straight matches against Oral Roberts, Central Arkansas and Arkansas State to claim the Flight 2 title at the UCA Invitational

Prior to LA Tech

• Competed in one singles final and two doubles finals on the Australian circuit in 2019 • Earned career-high Australian ranking of 152 • Two-time bronze medalist in the Combined High Schools Floris Conway

Cup • Four-time recipient of the NSW High School Sports Blues Award at

Mosman High School.

Personal

Full name is Lara Alix Unkovich ... Daughter of Alan and Adrienne Unkovich ... Born Oct. 12, 2001 in Sydney, Australia.